International Conference on Advancing the Global Implementation of Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation Programmes CN-238

Contaminated Land Remediation on decommissioned nuclear facilities : an optimised approach

25 May 2016, 10:25

5m

Madrid

Oral Poster Technical and Technological Aspects of Implementing Environmental Remediation Programmes Session 4B - 1

Speaker

Mrs Emilie SAUER (EDF DIPDE)

Description

The effluent treatment facility on the decommissioned nuclear power plant of Brennilis, France, is currently being dismantled. Historically, various incidents involving effluent drum spills caused radiological contamination in the building platform and the underlying soil. The French Nuclear Safety Authority’s doctrine for radioactively contaminated land is a reference approach which involves complete clean-up, removing any trace of artificial radioactivity in the ground. If technical difficulties are encountered or the quantity of radioactive waste produced is too voluminous, an optimised clean-up can be implemented. In our case, the reference approach being disproportionate to the risks, an optimised approach is proposed. EDF first chose to demonstrate compliance between the land and all foreseeable uses. It then involved optimising earth excavation to reduce the source term as far as reasonably achievable, taking into account technical difficulties, quantities of low level waste produced, sustainable management and workers’ safety.